Saylor URL: http://www.saylor.org/books Saylor.org
Notice how the paragraph incorporates the student’s personal judgment within the
evaluation. Evaluating a document requires prior knowledge that is often based on
additional research.
Tip
When reviewing directions for assignments, look for the verbs summarize, analyze,
synthesize, or evaluate. Instructors often use these words to clearly indicate the
assignment’s purpose. These words will cue you on how to complete the assignment
because you will know its exact purpose.
Exercise 1
Read the following paragraphs about four films and then identify the purpose of each
paragraph.
- This film could easily have been cut down to less than two hours. By the final scene, I
noticed that most of my fellow moviegoers were snoozing in their seats and were barely
paying attention to what was happening on screen. Although the director sticks diligently
to the book, he tries too hard to cram in all the action, which is just too ambitious for
such a detail-oriented story. If you want my advice, read the book and give the movie a
miss. - During the opening scene, we learn that the character Laura is adopted and that she has
spent the past three years desperately trying to track down her real parents. Having
exhausted all the usual options—adoption agencies, online searches, family trees, and so
on—she is on the verge of giving up when she meets a stranger on a bus. The chance
encounter leads to a complicated chain of events that ultimately result in Laura getting
her lifelong wish. But is it really what she wants? Throughout the rest of the film, Laura
discovers that sometimes the past is best left where it belongs. - To create the feeling of being gripped in a vice, the director, May Lee, uses a variety of
elements to gradually increase the tension. The creepy, haunting melody that subtly
enhances the earlier scenes becomes ever more insistent, rising to a disturbing crescendo
toward the end of the movie. The desperation of the actors, combined with the
claustrophobic atmosphere and tight camera angles create a realistic firestorm, from
which there is little hope of escape. Walking out of the theater at the end feels like
staggering out of a Roman dungeon. - The scene in which Campbell and his fellow prisoners assist the guards in shutting down
the riot immediately strikes the viewer as unrealistic. Based on the recent reports on
prison riots in both Detroit and California, it seems highly unlikely that a posse of
hardened criminals will intentionally help their captors at the risk of inciting future
revenge from other inmates. Instead, both news reports and psychological studies
indicate that prisoners who do not actively participate in a riot will go back to their cells
and avoid conflict altogether. Examples of this lack of attention to detail occur
throughout the film, making it almost unbearable to watch.
Collaboration
Share with a classmate and compare your answers.